Disclaimer: I am just a mere visitor in the sublime world constructed by the brilliant mind that is J.K Rowling. Anything that rings a bell is hers

Chapter 36

Draco's POV

I pushed the door open, striding into mother's room, fighting off the image of a cold faced Ky Thornton that seemed ingrained in my brain... I blinked a good few times, trying to wrestle the image of her dark grey eyes glowing emptily up at me to the recesses of my mind. I most definitely did not have the time right now to deal with my reaction to her apparent death...

I stopped halfway into the room and sighed, mother sat with her back facing me, her eyes focused on the large alabaster lace curtain which framed her French windowed wall. At least she was awake.

"Mother."

My voice was dry from lack of use, eventful the night may have been, it found me mostly silently shocked. She didn't answer and I took the steps to face her, trying to form words of comfort. Emelia Brocklehurst had been her oldest and dearest friend since before she even attended Hogwarts.

Their friendship had been the only thing non negotiable with father, considering he never liked Victor Brocklehurst, saying that the man was much too complacent with his lot in life. Not that his lot was terribly bad, he was quite high up in the Ministry, and his grandfather had been a Minister of Magic, a lot of people thought he was heading in the same direction, some even thought he should have got the position instead of Fudge and some still hoped he would have taken over... well... I guess they should set that hope free.

"Mother, I am-"

I stopped, momentarily frozen, hypnotized by the long dripping lines of scarlet that contrasted with mother's pale skin, the silver tipped knife tracing perfect and parallel lines all down her forearm. Three blinks passed and I fell to my knees, grabbing the knife.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you." I pulled at the knife but her hand was like iron moulded around the handle, the motion causing the point of the knife to sink further into her translucent skin. "She's been given instructions to not cause lasting damage, you interfere and you might do more harm than good. You wouldn't like that now, would you Draco?"

I fell backwards clumsily onto the floor, glaring up at her electric blue eyes that shone with a wintry depth down at me, "YOU did this. Make her stop! NOW!"

She shrugged, still clad in the scarlet dress from last night, the motion jostling her raven hair, "I merely instructed Aunt Cissy to express herself, to expunge her grief. I think she is trying to distract herself from the pain. I might have used this as an example, I didn't think she wou-"

"STOP IT NOW ALYA! DO IT!"

She giggled, her red lips parted the exact same shade than the blood that was dripping down mothers arm. The silver dagger stopped halfway up mothers left forearm and fell to the cold tiled floor with a clang. I looked up, horrified at the glassy expression on her dainty features.

Mechanically she lifted her bare feet onto the bed and I made to get up but a black stiletto heel upon my right shoulder stopped me. I made to push her leg off but it just made her stick the heel into my shoulder close to the point of penetration, "ALYA-"

"No Draco." She whispered down at me, "You don't get to speak. You don't get to move. You get to sit right there and listen whilst I talk or I would gladly incept the image of how free it is to fly to Aunt Cissy and who knows..."

I glared up at her, ignoring the shocking pale length of skin that lay exposed in front of me as the slit in her dress caused the material to fall away shamelessly at the height she had her leg rested on. She smirked when I didn't respond, taking a seat on mother's bed with a satisfied smirk on her lips, left leg still bare as she crossed it over her right.

"Why are you doing this?" I bit out. Alya, demented bitch that she was, wasn't dumb enough to mess with her mother who was very protective of her sister. "If your mother finds out-"

"And who's going to tell her? You? The pitiful little boy who couldn't even harm a fly let alone kill an old man much past his prime? Anyway, mother and you yourself instructed me to help Aunt Cissy, and my help can only go so far. Grief stricken women do silly things Draco. And Aunt Cissy was never that strong to begin with. You utter so much as an alarmed look to my mother and I will have Aunt Cissy take to the skies faster than you can say suicide."

I glowered up at her, my throat constricting. I glanced to the bed where mother lay, already asleep and I recoiled inwardly at what I had done. In my urgency to keep mother's sanity I had allowed her to become victim of the Mistress of the Imperius curse... she may have kept her sanity but her free will... I didn't think that Alya... she... fuck...

She slid languidly from the bed, propping her back against the bed and reclining onto the floor in front of me, "Whatever mother says of you, I always knew you were smart Draco." She giggled and it made my skin crawl, "You do tend to think with your penis more often than not." She moved almost in one motion and was straddling me in the next and I fought the urge to throw her off, "Then again, there's nothing wrong with thinking with your lower brain." She bit her lip and rested her palms on my chest, pushing her pelvis into mine and I swallowed, trying to fight off the physical reaction she was trying to evoke in me.

She pushed into me again and I bit my lip. "You know, your pussy truly seems to have nine lives. It seems no matter how many times I whisper into the ears of such capable men, she always manages to slither her way out. You teach her that?"

"I don't know what you're talking about." I spat out as she pushed against me again, fuck.

She laughed and it tickled my neck, "Please. I set the hunting contingent on seven church street and you just so happen to disappear for a few hours. Tell me, do you just like playing knight in shining armour; oh do you have some kinky damsel in distress fetish. If so, I can arrange a very-"

"Alya, I have no idea what you're talking about. If you must know I retired early from the ball."

She smirked in disbelief, "Draco, it's me. You don't have to lie to me." She placed her lips onto the base of my throat and I winced as she bit into the flesh. She sighed, letting go and looking me in the eye, "We're family. And family sticks together. I won't let any harm befall Aunt Cissy... just like I am sure you wouldn't disrespect us all by consorting with blood traitors. It really would break your mother's heart; do you want your mothers heart to break?"

I looked at mothers tiny back as she lay on her side fast asleep, getting Alya's threat clearly. If she found out I was with Ky again, she would hurt mother. I grit my teeth has I felt her tongue slither against my throat has she moved her hips and I hated myself for reacting... her hips spun faster and faster and I closed my eyes, heat flooding me unintentionally...

I leaned against the wall, out of breath and shaking after what had just happened. Half of me wanted to shower and the other half wanted to throw up completely.

"Draco?"

I snapped around, Theo was hovering at the entrance to my wing, his face in the easily recognisable intel high he was running on, it dimmed slightly at the look on my face and I cleared my throat and my mind of the electric blue eyes and walked towards him.

"News?"

"Of course. Are you OK?"

I glanced away from his hazel rays of inspection, "Hmm. News." I stated.

"Your cousin must be in some mood." I stopped walking down the corridor and glanced at him.

"What?"

"Well it would seem she and her dear brother had failed in capturing Dumbledore's daughter in law. She had sent her two cronnies, Corner and Fleeceheart to capture the lady, Alya has something of a personal vendetta against her, remember the scar on her abdomen? Girls, they can be so shallow. Anyway, they thought the mission a success until a few hours ago."

I frowned, "What proved them wrong."

"Seems the Order has taken a liking to polyjuice potion. The person that they captured and had been torturing for quite some time was in fact just another Order member disguised as Agnes Thornton."

Ky would be happy to hear that. We never spoke much about our families, but I did remember seeing a picture of her brother and his wife in her book bag, the woman was an absolute beauty and I shivered imagining just what torture techniques Bastian Blishwick might have used on the fake Agnes Thornton.

"Is that all?" I couldn't be concerned about things such as this now... I needed to get my shit together. My hand trembled slightly as I lay it on the cold gold door knob, would Alya really go to the extent of killing her own aunt just to prove a point? If I told Aunt Bella she could probably stop the little twit... but it might be too late. I couldn't afford to be too late right now. Theo nodded, turning and making his way to the guest bedroom and I entered the room with the twist of the cold door knob.

"Draco."

I looked up at the cheerful chocolate skinned face, she walked towards me in a few strides and I nodded a greeting at the woman. Liam turned around, his brown eyes dim as they found mines, with everything going on, he still had time to be angry at me about not allowing Kyra to attend the Ball. Not that the woman looked the least bit put out, she was beaming up at me.

"Where is Ari?" I directed the question at Liam and he nodded to the bed at the end of the room where a small figure lay in the heart of it, soft snores wafting over us.

"We need to talk." I looked at Liam and he sighed, standing to his feet and following me out of the room.

"Draco?" I turned, almost forgetting that Kyra was in the room. She looked hesitantly at Liam and he nodded her on enthusiastically. "Merry Christmas."

I frowned, taking the package from her, "Thank you Kyra, you shouldn't have." Actually she couldn't have, she couldn't leave this room nor did she have any money.

"Open it." I bit back a sigh, her excitement may not be contagious but it did have a good way of subduing my annoyance. I peeled the wrapper with haste and looked down at the hand painted portrait of myself, Theo, Liam, Blaise and Ari, all in various degrees of laughter. It was a familiar scene that occurred over Summer vacation... it was good.

"Thanks." I smiled, "It's great."

She blushed at the compliment and I walked out the door, turning to Liam as he slowly took his leave.

"Ari can't stay here any longer. Not with Alya and Bastian. They're not in the best of moods either and I don't want to test their patience. Arrange for her to return to Beauxbaton as soon as possible, and keep her there during Easter vacation as well. We will sort out something for Summer but for now I think it's best she is as far away as possible from the two of them."

He nodded grimly, and I sighed, I didn't want Ari to leave any more than he did, but this was for her safety. "Liam, what is it?"

"Nothing." He muttered, "I better go make those arrangements, Master Malfoy."

I ground my teeth, "Don't fuck with me Liam! Your attitude-"

"Well I'm sorry if I pissed your highness off." He spat, I glowered at him.

"Is this about the Ball. About Kyra not being allowed to attend."

"No! This is about me being FORCED to go to the Ball. Remember? What were your exact words? Your attendance is non-negotiable. I know, I know how much you have done for Ari and I, I am very grateful, I try and show it by doing what I can...but to treat me like a house elf-"

I growled in irritation, "Fucking hell Liam, I didn't force you to come because I think you a servant. Your attendance was non-negotiable just as much as mine was, you're family. That's why I wanted you there."

His brown eyes flickered awkwardly to the ground and I let out a sigh, "Look, Liam, I don't tell you to do things. Well some things but half of the things you do because... fuck I don't even know why? You can be just as lazy as Blaise in this... in this venture, if you wanted to be. You and Ari are family."

He bit his lip, ashamed at what he had done and I sighed yet again, "We good?"

He nodded and turned, bustling down the corridor as I finally opened the door to my bedroom. Any relief I felt fled my body as my eyes clamped on the still bodies of Blaise and Pansy, the dainty feminine one lying cozily on the long masculine surface whose eyes were welded shut in sleep.

Just as I watched the soft tremble of her chest whilst she breathed, the fluttering of her short black hair from Blaise's loud snores, her light blue eyes fell upon me and she stared across the room at me, her face completely blank.

She straightened off Blaise and I half wanted to tell her not to, I couldn't offer her any sort of comfort now, I was worn out completely and all I wanted to do was sleep, my body acting on its own and falling onto the soft bed. With the slightest of creaks and jostle of the bed along with a feminine scent I knew Pansy had joined me and any complaints I had I swallowed.

"Draco?" Her usually snarky voice was soft and I closed my eyes unwillingly, I was truly exhausted.

"Are you alright?" I whispered, I cocked one eye open when I received no response and I then I saw her move her little head up and down in the positive as she lay down beside me. "Did...did Rabastan..."

She shook her head vigorously, "My dress tore when I was trying to get out of the bathroom." She mumbled. She remained silent for a long while and I was astounded that she could even accomplish such a feat. "Thank you for saving me."

I didn't respond, unsure what to say. Alya had sent her up there and Rabastan and Aunt Bella had attacked the Brocklehursts and inadvertently her... that was my family... she really shouldn't be thanking me. I heard a sniffle next to me and I slowly opened my eyes, seeing Pansy's face stained with tears as she sobbed up at the roof.

It must have been quite hard to be witness to that massacre and I sought words of comfort in my tired mind, coming up empty. Pansy may be annoying but nobody deserved that.

"Do you... do you..." She sniffled out, "Do you remember when we were seven and you got that toy broomstick and you wouldn't let anyone touch it. And then Mandy got the exact same one and she would let just about anyone play with hers and you got Crabbe and Goyle to try and break hers?"

I vaguely remembered the memory and I frowned, unsure where the sobbing woman was going with this, "Yes."

"Well they didn't." She sniffed, "They broke yours, the idiots. Mandy just swapped it, pretending hers had broken instead."

I didn't know that, not that it changed much... what was Pansy doing? Maybe this was just part of her grieving process.

"In first year, when she got sorted into Ravenclaw, she panicked for three full days. We were friends back then, I remember. Not worried what her parents would think." Pansy's voice was dry but she didn't stop, "But worried what you would think. Do you remember what you told her?"

I opened my eyes, looking at Pansy from the corner of my eye in confusion, "I don't remember telling her anything."

"Exactly." Her voice was somewhat cold, "She had panicked for three full days, expecting you to say something. Anything. And you didn't even acknowledge her existence. Not once. You didn't even glance at her today-" She choked out, "When she came to fetch me. You didn't even glance at her and the only reason why she came today was to see you. I know because she had the exact same needy, pathetic look on her face that I do, the exact same heartbroken expression when you never ever look back... Draco... are you ever... are you ever going to look back at me?"

For a few moments the room fell in utter silence except for Blaise's snores. What was I to tell her? I had always thought that Pansy knew what we were and if anything knew what we were not.

"Pans... No." I spoke to the ceiling and I didn't want to look at her, I didn't want to see more damage that I caused. Yet there was no sniffle, no wailing, no moaning and no groaning. Just silence.

"Do you love her?"

I glanced to my side, Pansy was staring up at the ceiling, tears leaking down into my white pillow and for a second, in that one moment, I liked Pansy, genuinely liked her when I never truly did before.

"Who?"

"Whoever it is that has stolen your attention these past few months."

I stared at the white ceiling and let out a sigh and closed my eyes, completely exhausted. I wanted out, I wanted to just pack my bags and leave. To even live amongst the muggles, where there was no Alya and no responsibilities like Ari and mother and no missions like sneaking death eaters into Hogwarts and assassinating headmasters and no grey eyed beauties that made me run into burning buildings...

"Yes." I whispered into the night's air, just as my mind grew heavy with sleep. I was in love with Ky Thornton. But I could never ever look back at her. I would be as invisible to her as Mandy Brocklehurst was to me... and she would probably break my heart just as much ... if not more...

A/N: So I honestly don't know what goes through my head with Alya's parts, actually I write the first thing that comes to mind because she is a very instinctive character, and there is something very deliciously wrong with her. Do you guys think she is too much? Even though it is rated M let me know if she is too much and I would tone her down...

Feedback will be appreciated as always

Kalina